Europe's Ryder Cup team achieved one of the greatest comebacks in golfing history last night despite hero Rory McIlroy nearly being disqualified for missing the tee off.

The team beat the US 14.5 to 13.5 with McIlroy putting in an extraordinary performance after being driven to the Chicago course by an unmarked police car.

He arrived just 11 minutes before the match started.

Record comeback: Rory McIlroy (front right) joins in the celebrations after Martin Kaymer (hands aloft) holes the putt that retains the Ryder Cup at the Medinah Country Club in Chicago

Irish elation: McIlroy has even more to shout about as he was very nearly disqualified for missing his tee-off time. He arrived with just 11 minutes to spare only thanks to a police escort

He beat his individual opponent Keegan Bradley as the European team came back after trailing by a seemingly hopeless four points overnight.

McIlroy had failed to arrive as expected for the start of the final day, and his European teammates had started to worry.

Two minutes late and he would forfeit the opening hole, five minutes late and he faced disqualification.

But with just 11 minutes to go he was driven into the parking lot in an unmarked police car.

Cutting it fine: McIlroy, pictured here after winning his match against Keegan Bradley, had failed to arrive as expected for the start of the final day and his European teammates had started to worry

Could have been decisive: If McIlroy had arrived two minutes late, he would have forfeited the opening hole, while five minutes late and he would have faced disqualification

He ran across to the practice putting green and then proceeded to put in an incredible first nine holes.

McIlroy, who is dating tennis star Caroline Wozniacki, revealed it was his phone, rather than television coverage, that was to blame for his late arrival.

‘I read the tee times on my phone, and they are obviously on Eastern time and it’s Central time here,’ he added.

He joked: ‘At least I wasn’t in the back (of the police car). We got here as fast as we could.’

By his side: McIlroy, pictured with his girlfriend, the Danish tennis star Caroline Wozniacki, revealed it was his phone that was to blame for his arrival as it was showing Eastern time rather than Central time

European captain Jose Maria Olazabal admitted his heart was ‘racing quicker than expected’ when his man failed to show.

‘We did not have that in mind,’ he said. ‘All of a sudden we realised Rory was not here and started to look for him. Finally we got hold of him and he came in with a police escort with ten or 11 minutes to go.’

McIlroy added: ‘I was casually walking around the hotel when I got a call and I was told I had 25 minutes to get to the course. Luckily there was a state trooper outside.’

There had been plenty of drama on the course already, with Luke Donald and Bubba Watson both making birdies on the first hole before Donald went two ahead with a par on the second and a birdie on the fourth.

Making history: Europe turned over a 10-6 deficit to retain the Ryder Cup

Nerves of steel: Poulter continued his fine form to see off Webb Simpson

Ian Poulter, Europe’s undoubted star this week with three wins out of three, then chipped in for a birdie on the first in his match with Webb Simpson, only for the US Open champion to match him with a 15ft effort for a half.

Poulter then bogeyed the second and fourth to fall two behind, but McIlroy had sufficiently caught his breath to win the fourth hole with a conceded birdie to take the lead over Bradley.

And Justin Rose won the first two holes against Phil Mickelson, the first with a birdie and the second when Mickelson found water off the tee on the second.

As holders, Europe, who started the final day trailing 10-6, only needed to tie the match to retain the Cup they won in Wales two years ago. In 1999, the US team achieved a similarly sensational comeback by turning around a four-point overnight deficit.

Coming up Rose's: Justin Rose won the last two holes to win a thriller against Mickelson

Making amends: Westwood bounced back from a shaky first two days to beat Kuchar

By ADAM TEICHER

The Kansas City Star

By ADAM TEICHERThe Kansas City Star

Updated: 2012-10-01T02:46:39Z

Before he could even be asked the question, Romeo Crennel tried to head off the controversy. He said Matt Cassel would be the Chiefs’ starting quarterback for next Sunday’s game against Baltimore at Arrowhead Stadium.

But the combination of Cassel’s lousy play in Sunday’s 37-20 loss to San Diego at Arrowhead — he threw three first-half interceptions as the Chiefs fell behind 27-6 — and Crennel’s less-than-enthusiastic defense of Cassel guaranteed that the issue won’t be so easily dismissed.“He still can do some good things,’’ Crennel said. “The second half, we tried to rally a little bit and we were able to move the ball down the field. We had a spark of life there in the third quarter, and he was the one that helped that spark.“I could have taken (Jamaal) Charles out because of his struggles and his problems, but he’s also the one who can run for a touchdown. (Those are) some of the decisions a head coach has to make and you have to go with your gut feeling, and what you know about your team and then move forward with it.” Charles lost two fumbles in the first half, no small factor in San Diego’s big halftime lead. The difference between Charles and Cassel is that the running back has carried his team to victory many times before, the most recent being last week in New Orleans.Cassel last week was merely along for the ride, as he has been for many of Kansas City’s victories while he was the quarterback. Cassel had a big hand in last season’s comeback win in Indianapolis, but otherwise has no signature comebacks to his credit.Crennel also wouldn’t say whether he contemplated a change to Brady Quinn at quarterback at any time during Sunday’s game. “Whether I was considering it or not doesn’t make a difference,” Crennel said. “It’s hypothetical. I didn’t make a change and I’m staying with that.” The Chiefs committed six turnovers. Shaun Draughn also lost a fumble in the fourth quarter.They now have committed 15 turnovers in four games. Cassel with seven interceptions and three lost fumbles is responsible for 10.“Obviously, it starts with me,” he said.One of Cassel’s interceptions was the fault of Dexter McCluster. That pass bounced off McCluster’s hands.The others were on Cassel. One of those throws was behind the intended receiver, Tony Moeaki, and returned 21 yards by Donald Butler for a touchdown.“I have to get him a better ball,” Cassel said. “I’ve got to do a better job of protecting the football and putting our team in a better situation to be successful.” The Chiefs have a multitude of other issues, including a defense that allowed an opening possession touchdown for the third time in four games.But they’re destined to get blown out each week until they can solve their turnover dilemma. The Chiefs had one takeaway Sunday, a Brandon Flowers interception.They have collected just two turnovers this season, making them negative-13 in an all-important statistic.“I don’t think it’s on one person,” said tackle Eric Winston, trying to defend Cassel. “You sit up there and you see an interception. I see a bad protection, a wrong route, a wrong block, whatever it might be. You can put the blame on a couple guys but to me, that would be incorrect.“You can sub guys in and out, you can do whatever you want. I’ve been in a lot of situations like this where you have a team that’s turning the ball over and seldom is it one guy.” Crennel has the unenviable task of trying to lead a Kansas City turnaround that appears most improbable. The Ravens have eight takeaways in their four games.“I told the team that it was bad football ... but we have a game to play next week and we have to pull together and stay together and not point fingers,” Crennel said. “It was everybody involved, coaches and players. Everybody associated was bad today, and that’s how we’re going to have to look at it, and we’ll have to see if we can get better somehow and play better against good football teams.”

By TIMOTHY FINN

The Kansas City Star

Eric Church has been a road warrior for six years or so, and it showed Saturday night at the Sprint Center. He and his band had no trouble delivering an arena-sized show.

Setlist

Country Music Jesus; Guys Like Me; Hell on Heart; Pledge Allegiance to the Hag; How ‘Bout You; Over When It’s Over; I’m Getting Stoned; Jack Daniels; Hungover and Hard Up; Creepin’; Keep On; Those I’ve Loved; Sinners Like Me; Love Your Love the Most; Drink In My Hand; Lotta Boot Left to Fill; A Country Boy Can Survive; Homeboy. Encore: Smoke a Little Smoke; These Boots; Springsteen.

Why did Eric Church cross the road? To sell out an arena.

Saturday night, more than two years after the country singer played a free show on the KC Live stage in the Power & Light District, Church brought his Blood, Sweat and Beers Tour across Grand Boulevard to the Sprint Center, which was nearly filled to capacity. His rise to arena stature has been swift. Church, 36, has three albums on his resume, the latest of which, “Chief,” has gone platinum since its release in June 2011. Like its predecessors, “Chief” is full of songs about drinking, smoking weed, living the country-boy life, loving and leaving, and drinking some more — outlaw themes that resonate with his big audience. He played 10 of the 11 tracks off that album, and the crowd gave most a rowdy welcome and hearty response.Church has been a road warrior for six years or so, and it showed. He and his band had no trouble delivering an arena-sized show. And they needed to: The place looked about 99 percent full, all the way up to the last rows in the upper level. He brought some embellishments: flashpots and fireworks and lasers. But his 100-minute set was mostly about attitude sustainment. Church conveys the personae of a guy who’s hard on the outside but soft enough on the inside to fall in love or for at least a little romance.He opened with “Country Music Jesus,” a call for a revival of the music’s old-country ways, then “Guys Like Me,” a male-bonding anthem for guys who fix their own trucks, drink too much beer, aren’t afraid to bleed and wear cowboy boots to church. But it’s one for the ladies, too: “It’s hard to believe that girls like you / Love guys like me.”In “Pledge Allegiance to the Hag,” he paid reverence to a country music hero and the places and lifestyles that inspired his music. But the songs that enflamed the Saturday-night mood in the arena were the anthems like “I’m Getting Stoned,” “Hungover and Hard Up,” “Drink in My Hand” and “Smoke a Little Smoke.” No name was mentioned more all night than Jack Daniel’s, which ought to pay a sponsor’s fee.Yet he closed with two sentimental tunes. The first was “These Boots,” a song from his first album, “Sinners Like Me.” The song is about a diehard symbol in country music and the country lifestyle. He thanks his boots for getting him into good places and out of trouble, then damns them for “walkin’ out on you.”He closed with “Springsteen,” another “Chief” song and one that addresses how a song can have the power to revive keen memories: “Funny how a melody sounds like a memory / Like a soundtrack to a July Saturday night / Springsteen.” He dropped in the first verse to “Born to Run,” done country-style, and the crowd joined in and roared, as if the guy who wrote it were on stage singing it.

The first presidential debate is in just two days. Expect arguments over taxes, health care, jobs, foreign policy and perhaps a statement or two that either candidate might wish he could take back.

But some topics, we’re fairly certain, will not come up Wednesday in Denver. Somehow these issues have so far escaped blistering pundit criticism or secret videotaping. But The Star has been digging, digging, digging.Have you seen a political ad about Vice President Joe Biden’s golf handicap? No!Who else would track down the Romneys’ getaway car in the “Seamus” caper? We did!And what about the Oval Office rug? Why hasn’t Rush Limbaugh pounced on that scandal?So, here’s the inside scoop, but you’ll have to work for it — it’s in quiz form to test your political acumen.Twelve or more correct, and there’s probably a place waiting for you on a candidate’s plane. Eight to 11, you still rate as a political insider in our book. Four to seven, perhaps you can ride in the back of the campaign bus as an intern. Less than four? Sorry. Our operatives say we’ll have to throw you under the bus. 1. What did Mitt Romney suggest recently to improve air safety?A. Fewer air controllersB. Windows that open on jetlinersC. Younger pilots 2. Barack Obama referred in a speech to a tragedy, saying, “Ten thousand people died — an entire town destroyed.” To what disaster was he referring?A. A hurricane in TexasB. An earthquake in ChinaC. A tornado in Kansas 3. Which golf twosome reportedly has the lowest average handicap?A. Obama and BidenB. Former presidents Bill Clinton and George BushC. House Speaker John Boehner and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice 4. Who was quoted in a GOP ad running this June as chiding: “Shame on you, Barack Obama.”A. Bill ClintonB. Hillary ClintonC. Chelsea Clinton 5. According to a poll, what percentage of Republicans in Ohio said Romney is “more responsible” for Osama bin Laden’s death than Obama? question to darryl on what a PPP poll isA. 5 percentB. 10 percentC. 15 percent 6. For her convention speech, Ann Romney wore a red Oscar de la Renta dress that cost $1,990. First lady Michelle Obama wore a Tracy Reese number. How many of Michelle’s dresses could one buy for the same cost as Ann’s?A. TwoB. ThreeC. Four 7. If you add the heights of Barack and Michelle (removing those 3-inch heels) and those of Mitt and Ann, how many inches taller are the Democrats?A. TwoB. ThreeC. Four 8. If one combines the ages of the couples, how many years older are the Republicans?A. 9 yearsB. 19 yearsC. 29 years 9. Biden once sold used cars. What did GOP vice-presidential nominee Paul Ryan do?A. Sexed chickens for TysonB. Drove the Oscar Meyer WienermobileC. Spent summers as an Orkin exterminator 10. Romney and Obama went to Harvard Law School. Biden (barely) got his law degree at the University of Syracuse in New York. Where did Ryan get his law degree?A. Georgetown in Washington, D.C.B. University of Wisconsin at MadisonC. Miami University in Ohio 11. What statue does Romney want to restore to the Oval Office?A. A Remington bronco busterB. A bust of Winston ChurchillC. A bust of Ronald Reagan 12. Most presidents change the rug in the Oval Office, but what is wrong with Obama’s?A. The eagle faces the wrong way, toward the claw with the arrows.B. It is missing two stars that represent the states.C. It misattributes a quote. 13. As we all know, Seamus, the Romney’s Irish setter, once rode atop the car to Canada, but what was the make of the station wagon?A. Chevrolet CapriceB. American Motors EagleC. Ford Fairlane 14. In a recent Vanity Fair article excerpting a new book, “Obama’s Way,” why was it a good thing Obama was not relaxing on the Truman balcony in the evening last Nov. 11?A. Lightning struck the White House garden.B. A bullet hit a nearby window.C. An Alabama high school band mooned the White House. 15. Which listing of names is those of Mitt’s five sons?A. Ben, Josh, Craig, Matt and TaggB. Brad, Jeff, Mark, Caleb and TaddC. Biff, Jason, Chuck, Mitt Jr. and Trigg

ANSWERS

1.B. Windows that open on jetliners, after his wife’s plane filled with smoke.

2.C. Greensburg, Kan., where 10 died.

3.C. Boehner (7.9) and new Augusta member Rice (14.7) edge out Obama and Biden (17 and 6.3). Clinton (once said to be a mulligan-laden 12) is rusty, and Bush (15) cut back because of the war. Romney? He doesn’t play.

4.B. Hillary Clinton.

5.C. 15 percent. The poll, conducted early last month, also found 47 percent of Republicans are “not sure” whether Obama or Romney deserves more of the credit.

6.C. Four. We ain’t talking Target here.

7.A. Two. Mitt is 1 inch taller than Barack, but Michelle is 3 more than Ann.

8.C. 29. Mitt and Ann are 65 and 63. Barack and Michelle are 51 and 48.

9.B. Ryan worked for Oscar Meyer.

10.C. Trick question. Redhawk Ryan completed his double major in political science and economics from Miami University. His wife, Janna, is the lawyer in the family, getting her Juris doctor at George Washington University.

11.B. In London, the Republican said he’d return Winnie, replaced by Martin Luther King Jr., when Obama moved in.

12.C. The rug attributes the words “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice” to King, who did use them, but the author is Theodore Parker, a pre-Civil War abolitionist.

13.A. A very-well-hosed-off Chevy Caprice.

14.B. Oscar Ortega-Hernandez was charged with firing nine semiautomatic rifle slugs from a car parked on Constitution Avenue, one of which hit a balcony window.

Five observations from Chiefs-Chargers first half, where the Chargers lead 27-6.

1. It’s time to make a quarterback change. Brady Quinn can’t do worse.2. The Chiefs had no answer for Chargers tight end Antonio Gates, other than to hold him. Eric Berry was called for two penalties for 28 yards in the first quarter and surrendered 33-yard and 13-yard completions in the second quarter.3. The Chiefs were not able to put much pressure on Philip Rivers. Tamba Hali should have had his way with sore-backed Jared Gaither. And what happened to Justin Houston?4. Too many penalties. Berry’s interference penalties and Tony Moeaki’s false starts were damaging. And Eric Winston’s lining up in the backfield wiped out a 37-yard completion to Dwayne Bowe.5. Don’t think about putting Jamaal Charles’ name on the Ring of Honor just yet. A 37-yard touchdown run doesn’t make up for two fumbles on his first four carries.

Rocked by sex scandals: Former IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn (above) flew to Athens for discussions with ministers about how to solve Greece's financial crisis... then went clubbing until 5am with a mystery blonde

Shamed former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn is set to be hired by Greece to help rescue the bankrupt nation’s collapsing economy.

The disgraced French economist jetted to Athens to meet with government ministers last week, it has been reported.

And the 63-year-old - whose career has been wrecked by a catalogue of sex scandals - is set to become an ‘advisor’ on how to solve the country’s financial chaos, Greek newspapers said.

But despite the official nature of his visit, the self-confessed swinger still found time to cavort in a nightclub till 5am with a mystery blonde.

France’s Europe1 radio station said: 'The Greek media is convinced he has been hired as a debt advisor.

'As the former head of the International Monetary Fund, he certainly has the qualifications.

'His financial wizardry has never been in doubt, despite the problems in his private life.'

The radio station added: 'But it wasn’t all work. He went there with some Parisian friends last Wednesday and spent the early evening his his hotel bar.

'Then they went to the exclusive discotheque, The Rich Club, where he, his blonde girlfriend and friends stayed until 5am.'

Strauss-Kahn has been embroiled in a string of sex scandals since he was arrested for allegedly trying to rape a New York hotel chambermaid in May last year.

After being held in New York’s notorious Ryker’s Island prison, criminal charges were dropped and he returned to France only to face similar accusations of sexually abusing a young French writer.

Career ruined: Strauss-Kahn (centre) has been embroiled in scandals since he was arrested for allegedly trying to rape a New York hotel chambermaid last year. After appearing in court (above), all charges were dropped against him

Unlikely saviour? Strauss-Kahn is set to be hired by Greece to help rescue the bankrupt nation's collapsing economy, which has sparked violent protests over the last two years

When those allegations were also dropped, he was then confronted with more claims he used hookers supplied by a vice network in Lille.

He now looks set to escape charges of gang rape at an orgy in Washington DC after one prostitute changed her story and told police they were playing ‘sex games’.

But the man once tipped as a future president of France still stands accused of conspiring with pimps to procure girls for sex parties around the world.

Strauss-Kahn has admitted to attending many ‘swingers parties’ but insisted the young women were not prostitutes and he often had sex with ‘willing girls’ in their 20s.

His lawyer Richard Malka has described DSK as ‘simple swinger’ who has committed nothing more than ‘crimes of lust’.

CLEVELAND -- How else could Luke Hochevar’s profoundly disappointing and underachieving year come to an appropriate end? Failing to survive a 10-run inning Sunday by the Cleveland Indians? That work?

The Royals suffered through a Google-search day – when’s the last time that happened? – while absorbing a 15-3 pounding at Progressive Field. It closed out their road schedule with the biggest thud this side of Arrowhead.It wasn’t all Hochevar, but he did surrender nine runs in 4 2/3 innings, which marked the seventh time in his 32 starts that he allowed at least seven runs. Eight of those nine runs came in a 10-run fifth inning that he failed to survive.Hochevar finishes the season at 8-16 with a 5.73 ERA, which begs a question: Do the Royals reassess their stated intention to retain him at a likely increase in salary through arbitration from his current $3.51 million?We’ll see.Hochevar worked around major trouble through the first four innings before everything collapsed in a 10-run fifth. Everett Teaford didn’t help when, after inheriting two runners with two outs, he issued a walk before serving up a grand slam to Asdrubal Cabrera.Jeremy Jeffress shoveled more muck on the heap by giving up another four runs and six hits while throwing 44 pitches in 1 1/3 innings.Here’s your Google-search results:The last time the Indians scored 10 runs in an inning was May 16, 2011 at Kauffman Stadium. That was the night when Vin Mazzaro replaced an injured Kyle Davies and set a club record by allowing 14 runs in 2 1/3 innings.And the last time the Indians hit double figures at home was Aug. 13, 2006 when they produced an 11-run first inning against the Royals and Luke Hudson.Now this.The Royals, 71-88, lost for the seventh time in eight games and closed out a 1-6 trip that began with four losses at Detroit. The season concludes this week at home with three more games against the Tigers.Cleveland finished with 19 hits, including three by Cabrera, Jack Hannahan and Lou Marson. Shin-Soo Choo had two hits and two RBIs. Jason Kipnis and Cabrera each scored three times. There was a lot more, too. See the box score.It meant Indians starter Zach McAllister, 6-8, had an easy time. It was 11-0 before he yielded Alex Gordon’s two-run homer in the sixth, and he went 6 2/3 innings before Tony Sipp and Frank Herrmann closed out the rout.The Royals also lost another infielder when third baseman Mike Moustakas exited in the seventh inning because of tightness in his left groin.So, yeah, a great day.Let’s look at that 10-run fifth: Cleveland led 1-0 when Choo opened the inning by lining a double over a leaping Billy Butler at first. Choo then stole third when ignored by Hochevar – even as Irving Falu broke from short for a possible pick-off play.Kipnis hopped an RBI double over the right-field wall for a 2-0 lead. Cabrera’s bunt single moved Kipnis to third with no outs. Lonnie Chisenhall struck out, but Hannahan pulled an RBI double into the right-field corner.After a walk to Brent Lillibridge loaded the bases, the Indians added a run on Casey Kotchman’s fielder’s-choice grounder to first. The Royals caught a break there, too. Falu was nowhere near second when he took the throw from Butler for a force. It still went from bad to worse.Hochevar reloaded the bases by walking Marson before forcing in a run by hitting Jason Donald with a first-pitch breaking ball. Up again came Choo, and he grounded a two-run single up the middle for a 7-0 lead on Hochevar’s final pitch of the year. Teaford started his work with a four-pitch walk to Kipnis that reloaded the bases before Cabrera sent a 1-1 fastball over the left-field wall for a grand slam and an 11-0 lead.